Katherine Grace, Alonge-Coons appointed as Rensselaer County's commissioner of the Mental Health Department

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Katherine Grace, Alonge-Coons has been appointed as Rensselaer County's commissioner of the Mental Health Department, said County Executive Kathy Jimino on Wednesday.

Alonge-Coons has worked in the field of behavioral health for over 25 years and has worked for Rensselaer County in various behavioral health capacities since 1989.

Before her appointment as commissioner, she served as the Department of Mental Health's Director of Children's Services. Her appointment comes on the heels of Katherine Maciol accepting the position of CEO of the Center for Economic Opportunity.

"Katherine Alonge-Coons has a long and distinguished career serving the residents of Rensselaer County. Her efforts in the department I am now asking her to lead have had a profound impact on our ability to provide these services at a minimal cost to the property taxpayers," Jimino said.

The department is responsible for fiscal and programmatic oversight and monitoring of Rensselaer County's programs funded by the state Office of Mental Health, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and the Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities for the provision of those services as well as all licensed programs providing those services in Rensselaer County.

In 2011 the Department directly served approximately 2,000 residents and in 2013 the operating budget for the Department will be over $14 million.

"I am honored and humbled to accept the position of commissioner of the county's Department of Mental Health," Alonge-Coons said. "I look forward to continuing the good work that is being done here by the nearly 100 employees and the subcontractors of the department who day in and day out work diligently to provide quality and effective services to fulfill our mission of empowering and helping all persons to improve their quality of life."